Target reflector with foldable hood



ug 26, 1952 w. B. WELLS TARGET REFLECTOR WITH FOLDABLE: HOOD Original Filed March 27, 1948 and 14a l 15a:

JNVENTOR. Wes B. Wels BY Hfs AWTURNEY 2l 15d 15b g? 4.

. 26, W. B. WELLS v TARGET REFLECTOR WITH FOLDABLE HOOD Original Filed MaICh 27, 1948 A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Ooob f6 8 fa 14 i? l Va o o 5f Fg 5. 9 INVENToR.

lg BY @y B. WLls HIS ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 26, 1952 TARGET REFLECTOR FOLD HOOD- Wesley B. Wens, Wilkinsburg.'

tion of Pennsylvania Original application Mar 17,458, now Patent No. 29, 1950. Divided and this application December 10, 1948, Serial No. 64,506

, 1 I My invention relates to reflector devices, and particularly portable reflector devices vfor use'in connection with a method of aligning signal lamps which is completely described and claimed in my copending application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 17,458, filed March 27, 1948, entitled Method and Apparatus for Aligning Lamps, which has issued as Patent No. 2,520,866, dated August 29, 1950, andv of which the present application is a division.

An object of my inventiin is to provide an improved portable refiector unit for use in connection with such a method of 'aligning lamps.

Another object is to provide an improved combination reflector and target unit for use in connection with a method for aligning a lamp with an associated sighting device.

I accomplish these objects by providing a portable reflector, of a light, compact structure, which may be mounted at a point where it is desired that the beam from the lamp should strike. In aligning a highway crossing signal, for example, the reflector is mounted in the highway some distance from the signal, and is pointed toward the signal lamp. The lamp is then lighted and the lamp support is adjusted until a reection of maximum intensity is received at the signal lamp from the reflector.

The reflector is provided withV three hinged panels which cover the reflector when it is being carried, and which unfold to form a hood to protect the reflector from outside light sources when it is in use. The reiiector is provided with a hollow pipe handle which serves not only for carrying the reflector when folded,

but also as a mounting for two red ags, which are used as a warning to motorists when the reflector is set up in a highway.

When it is desired to use the reector for aligning a lamp with an associated sighting device, a target is mounted on the reiiector whose distance and angle from the reflector center are the same as the distance and angle of the sighting device from the center of the lamp. The lamp is then aligned with the reector by adjusting the lamp support. The sighting device is then aligned with the target by adjusting the mounting of the sighting device. The sighting device and the lamp being aligned, the sighting device may then be used to align the lamp with any desired point by adjusting the signal lamp support.

Other objects and characteristic features of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

' 1 claim. (crea- 74) Pa., assignor toy Westinghouse Air Brake Company, a corporach 27, 1948, Serial No. 2,520,866, dated August I shalldescribe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, andfshall then point out .thenovel features thereof in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is an elevational view of my improved reflector unit unfolded and mounted on a tripod. Fig. 2 is an elevational view on a larger scale of my improved reflector unit with the cover panels closed and portions of them broken away to better illustrate the structure beneath. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the reflector unit las shown in Fig. 2 with a part of the casing broken away. Fig. 4 is a crosssectional detail view taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the casing of my combined reector and target,

showing the supporting structure for the target. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5. looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrating the manner in which the target is `mounted on its supporting arm.

Figs. 1 to 4 My improved reector device is generally indicated by the reference character I`2. It appears in Fig. 1 in its open position, mounted on a tripod I3, ready for use. and in Figs. 2 and 3 in its folded or closed position, ready for carrying from onev location to another.

The reflector unit I2 includes a reector panel I4 carrying a plurality of reiiector Vbuttons I5. A pair of side panels or wings I6 are hinged at the opposite edges of the reflectorl panel I4. A top panel or cover I1 is hinged at the'top edge of the reiiectorpanel I4. The refiector panel I4 is mounted in a box I8 by meansof four studs I9 which are attached to the box and screws 20 which extend through the reector panel I4 and are threadedly received n the studs I9.

The top panel I1 is provided with a down turned rim portion IIa. which fits over the edges of the box I8 when the reflector unit is closed. The cover I1 is also provided with a pair of downwardly projecting lugs Ilb. When the signal unit is open, as shown in Fig. l, the upper edge of each of the side panels I6 is kreceived between one of the lugs Ilb and the rim portion Ila of the cover Il. (The front portion of rim I'Ia is broken away in Fig. 1 to permit better 4illustration of the parts behind it.) The top and side panels are thus latched together to form a hood which protects the reflector buttons I5 from sources of light otherthan the signal lamp toward which they are directed.

The reiiector buttons I5 are of a Well-known make, being Vof the type commonly used on highway signs and the like, having a relatively large acceptance angle and a narrow return beam. I prefer to use buttons so constructed that they will acceptandrect only light directed at the button'i'rom 'withir an'angle -of 15 degrees with the perpendicular. In other words, the button should have an acceptance angle of substantially 30 degrees. As best shown in Fig, 4,*each button I5 comprises a lens portion I5a and a base portion I5b, of somewhat greater diameter. The lens portion I5a projects throughfan'aperture Ha formed in the reector panel I4. Sinceth'e 'portions I5a and I5'b of the lens are of different diameters, they form a shoulder |50 onrthe button I5. A backing plate ZI "ezgagesth'e 'button I5 and holds the shoulder lic Aagainst .the .-re- Y fleeting panel I4. The backing plate 2l may'be supported on the panel I5 by any suitable means,

such as the screws 2m. The reector buttons I5 have a reflecting backsurface I 5d.

'Aireinfo'rcing platetaiisattached to'th'e'bottom of'lb'ox 'I8 byj anyy suitable means, 'for/example, by -`sp`ot"weld ing. This"reinforcing plate Ita iisprovidedlwitha threaded laperture I 8b for at the 'signal'by hand witlisulcientaccuracy so v that aperson at the'signalmay obs'ervethevre` ection of the signal' light Vinthe reflector. "Having mou'nted'the re'etor'ln'ftlie'roadway and directed it at theY signal unit, the operator returns to the signal 'unit 'and proceeds to "adjust its "mounting 'until 'th'elrection which he getsifrom the reilector IZiSfmaXimum intensity.

The arrangement .of the "'reflectonbuttons I 5 Vin a 'cross-shaped formation aids materially in fthe use of my reie'ctojnl 4 The -ipresence of *the horizontal and 'vertical rows" of reilectorbuttons inakesv-it"easy".for'tlie operator "to tell 'when :the 'edge'o thebeampassesoverthereflector surface.

" Bynotin'g the; positions of' the lampunlt atwhich 'thetwo `edges of {thebeamare observed, "the-l operator may'split thedifrei'enfcebetweenthose positions 'and' thereby'rnakesurethatfthe 'center of the beam is directed"at"thereflector. jAny other arrangement of 'reflector buttonswhichincludes "a'horizontal rowfand a vertical row may beused,y 'but'` the cross-'shaped arrangement `f one hori- 4 zontal row and one vertical row crossing at the center of the reflector is believed to be the optimum arrangement.

In certain instances, it may be undesirable to use the method of lamp alignment just described, i'either because of an extreme distance between the signal and the point where the signal is to be received, or because heavy traffic conditions make lit/impractical t0 leave an unattended reflector kuziit standing in the roadway, or for other reasons. VFor example, railway signals, as distinguished fromcrossing signals, are sometimes required to be visible for as much as a mile. In :such cases, it may be very inconvenient for the operator aligning the signal to mount the reilector a mile away and then return to the signal to align it. When such conditions are encountered, the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 may b'eused. An extension arm"21 .is Vmounted lnithe'reflector IZfandcarriesa target vv28. A reinforcing-plate 29is`attaehed by suitable means, as by'spot weldingftojtheback ofthe reflector 'box I8. lThisr'einforcing"plate is provdedwith a 'suitablethreaded 'iaperture'to receive a thumb screw '30, which'p'assesjthrough'nJ suitable'aperfture'in the'extension'arm 21, 'and holds the arm 21"i'n'anydesirable angularly adjusted position with`respect to 1thereiiectorbcx I8. The arm 2l is illustrated as` being faila'tbar of rectangular 'crossisectiongpair'offspring clamps A'3| are riveted `'or 'otherwise `ysuitably 'attached lto the back 'oftarget 28, jso'fthat the target Amay slide along-the arml 'and be frictionally heldlinV any 'adjusted position. Itshould be noted that the spring clamps 3I have 4`ilat=portions u3`Iav.`fhich engage the upper-'andflower-sidesof the bar 21 and therefore prevent rotation of vthe Jtarget V28 operation ,of ritos. 5 me 6 4portable'sighting device such 'as the'telescope to thebackgroundor otherpar-t of the signal-unit 'whichmoves concurrently with theslgnal'lamp as the latter i'slad'justed. VlThe operator then care- 'fullym'easures 'theilio'r'izontal and vertical dis- 'tancesbetwe'en thepenteriof the signal unit and 'the sighting device. The relectorunit I2 is then set up 'at any"convenientdistance 'and in any convenient "direction "from the signal lamp I.

"Theextension `arm` 2'1 1is attached to the reflec- .tor unit'I 2,' and'itsrangular. position and the posithat `the Ahorizontal -and Y'vertical 'distances 'between the center ofjthereilector panel andthe *target 128" are` the same as 'thehorizontal' and verturns tofthes'ignalf lampA and' adjusts the Ysignal ,Supportso `thatareectionofmaxl'inum intensity 'isreceivedat'thesgnal from the reflector I 2. $v

to kthe reflector is then V`accurately established. lIhej'm'tiuntingofthesightingdevice is then ad- Thefdirectionof lthe; beam lfrom'the' signal. lamp -justed so'that*tlre'sighting'device lined up 'with` the target28. Thi's insuresl that' the sightingV device iis. parallel Vwith the 'beam from the signal lamp. AThe 'signallampis then valigned with any desired remote point by adjusting its 'mounting structure'until 'the sighting 4'device is "aligned-'with' Vthat point. -It should be 'noted .that

in using this method, the reflector I2` maybe' set up at a convenient point, fairly close to the signal lamp, and out of the path of trafc.

This method may also be used when the sighting device is built into the signal lamp unit and it is desired to either adjust or check the parallelism between the sighting device and the beam from the signal lamp.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that Various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A target reector for use on a highway for aligning highway crossing signals comprising abox, a reflector panel within said box, said reflector panel having a cruciform arrangement of reflector buttons, a pair of side panels hinged at opposite sides of said reflector panel, a top panel hinged at the top of said reector panel; said panels when folded inwardly forming a cover for said reflector panel; and cooperating latch means on said side and top panels to hold said panels open to form a hood for said reflector panel.

p WESLEY B. WELLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 220,853 McEvoy Oct. 21, 1879 1,454,001 Smithers May 1, 1923 1,525,758 Christie Feb. 10, 1925 1,610,948 Huff Dec. 14, 1926 1,615,621 Goodnow June 25, 192'7 1,651,126 Ingalls Nov. 29, 1927 1,651,301 Stewart et al Nov. 29, 1927 1,688,018 Ostnaes Oct. 16, 1928 2,050,579 Murray Aug. 11, 1936 2,062,878 Hammel Dec. 1, 1936 2,109,286 Cubby Feb. 22, 1938 2,160,426 Archer May 30, 1939 2,272,296 Gallagher Feb. 10, 1942 2,305,665 Bolsey Dec. 22, 1942 2,442,504 Miller June 1, 1948 

